If you’re deciding whether to join a group tour to visit Sugarloaf Mountain (Pão de Açúcar) in Rio de Janeiro or to brave it on your own, I would strongly suggest doing it on your own! We had considered joining a tour to visit Sugarloaf Mountain, but decided to venture out on our own; saving at least $90 USD per person on a half day tour.
How To Get There
Sugarloaf Mountain is very easy to navigate without a guide. From our hotel in Leblon, we took a yellow taxi to the base of Sugarloaf Mountain in Urca (about $30 USD). The taxi charges by meter and only accepts cash. Due to language barriers, we simply showed our taxi driver a picture of the monolithic granite and quartz mountain.
By public transportation, take any of the following buses to Av Venceslau Bras: #177 / #360 / #382. From Av Venceslau Bras, take bus #511 to Sugar Loaf, located at Avenida Pasteur 520, Urca. Alternately, you could walk for about 20 minutes from Av Venceslau Bras to Sugar Loaf.
Tickets
We visited Sugarloaf Mountain on a Sunday in December around 11 am and spent no longer than 30 minutes lining up to purchase tickets. Ticket prices in 2014 were R$62 for adults, and R$31 for students up to 21 yrs (student ID required). If you arrive early enough, there is no need to pre-order tickets online. We just lined up for our tickets on site. Click here to purchase your tickets online.
Opening Hours
The ticket office opens daily from 8:00AM to 7:50PM and cable cars depart every 20 minutes or whenever full capacity is reached at 65 passengers.
What To Expect On Your Visit
The cable car brings to you to the first peak (Urca hill) where you must alight. Take in the panoramic views of Ipanema and Copacabana – bring a camera that can take panoramic pictures. Take the second cable car to the summit of Sugarloaf (Pão de Açúcar), which is just under 400m above sea level. At the top of Sugarloaf, you will find shops, cafés and more vantage points. Watch rock climbers scale the sides of the mountain. We were surprised so many other visitors used selfie-sticks to capture selfies like us!
What To Do After Sugar Loaf Mountain
Back at the base of Sugarloaf Mountain, taxis are readily available for hire. It’s a good idea to visit Bar Urca from here for bar snacks, cold caipirinhas and a scenic view of Guanabara Bay. Read my post on Bar Urca here.
Planning Tip: Arrive early to beat the ticket queue. There isn’t much shade on the mountain except for the café area at the summit – bring a hat and plenty of sunscreen. Read my tripadvisor review on Sugarloaf Mountain
Suggested Time To Spend: 3 Hours
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